Cost to have safe installed

[Scruit]

I'm looking at upgrading my gun safe and I've been looking at some big safes at Tractor Supply for about $800. All well and good, but I'd need it to go in the basement and it weight 400lbs, so, errr... Is that even feasible? How do you get a 400lb safe down a set of tight stairs?

Do most folks just install a safe of that size in the garage or something?

[max power]

Dining room.

[snot]

I have seen them in closets.

[MidgetTodd]

400 is nothing. Appliance dolly and a friend.

Mine weighs 880. You will be amazed at how easy they are to move with an appliance dolly

[kiggy74]

I had an 800 lb safe installed upstairs. Safe movers have the tools, in this case a motorized dolly that crawled up the stairs. Cost was $150, Vance's made the arrngements. I can get you a name if you're in central Oh.

[ReconRat]

I know one guy that has his on the front porch. It isn't going anywhere.

Yeah, motorized dolly to the basement and leave it when the house is sold.

[RHill]

appliance dolly makes things so much easier to move

One thing to be concerned with is headroom and you descend, depending on the height and dimensions that might cause more of an issue than width.

[shadyone]

400# isnt so bad youd be surprised how easy it is too move.. as long as you have 2 sturdy guys.

[Scruit]

Just have to figure out if it's worth the cost to have it installed in the basement versus the garage.

[max power]

It's worth it. Can't control humidity in the garage.

[marca]

Basements can have high humidity, but I would worry more about temperature swings causing condensation in the garage. Also, the harder it is to get down the stairs to the basement, the harder it will be for someone to carry it away. I would make sure you bolt it down securely to the floor if you put it in the garage. In either place, I would put in a small heater (Browning "Goldenrod" or equivalent) to try to keep moisture at bay. I was able to easily remove my safe's door to reduce the weight that had to be muscled down the stairs.

[Gump]

Basement and 400# is easy with two dudes on a fridge dolly. Unless you have crazy long steps, better put two on the bottom and one on top.

[ScubaCinci]

I'm having a big ass fort knox safe built right into my new house. Someone posted an interesting vid on safes here...check it out if you haven't already

Edited December 18, 2012 by ScubaCinci

[Pokey]

I vote basement, and a dolly with 2 guys who have been drinking are pretty strong.

[swingset]

Wouldn't own a safe unless it can be bolted to a concrete floor or secured to make removal a demo job...otherwise it's a mobile gun case to a couple thieves with a dolly.

Also, never store any tools in the house or garage that aids in getting into a safe.

When I have the means, I'm building a false room to hide the safe and placing a cheaper dummy with a couple plinkers as a decoy.

[Pokey]

Wouldn't own a safe unless it can be bolted to a concrete floor or secured to make removal a demo job...otherwise it's a mobile gun case to a couple thieves with a dolly.

Also, never store any tools in the house or garage that aids in getting into a safe.

Put them in a safe.

[vf1000ride]

I have mine on the second floor in my reloading room. Its a 25 gun Liberty Colonial, roughly 560lbs empty. I think mine was the same as what Kiggy74 paid, about $150 to deliver to the house and haul it up the stairs.

[Gunner75]

No way in hell ill put a safe in a basement below ground level. Even if your basement is sealed, it still gets higher humidity then above ground. If your safe doesn't have a proper seal youll play hell keeping humidity low even with an electric dehumidifier. My dad has a large 1200 lbs 30 gun safe that he has installed in the closet of the guest room. bolted to the floor. Cost him 3grand to have it bought delivered and installed used. Most people in his neighborhood know hes got guns, hes got several outside deterrents that keep the thieves at bay. But like the installer told him, a safe is great to have, but if someone really wants in they will get in. Its the other items you have that will keep them away.

[max power]

I've had my safe bolted to concrete in the basement for a few years now. Basement dehumidifier, silicone sock on each gun, heater stick and good ventilation. No issues. No worries.

Your results may vary.

[AWW$HEEET]

is there anything you can put inside a safe that will draw out humidity, kinda like the inverse of a cigar humidor?

[Gump]

Yes. There are many. They are rechargeable.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/300504012597?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

[flounder]

is there anything you can put inside a safe that will draw out humidity, kinda like the inverse of a cigar humidor?

Get 2 EvaDry E500.

Goldenrod heaters are a bad idea as they create warm air which will rise and exit out the top of your safe while at the same time bringing in outside, cool, moist air in from the bottom.

Read this.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=258092&Number=3545326#Post3545326

And the most important 2 posts in the entire thread

---------------------------

My Choices:

Eva-Dry dehumidifiers are definitely the best. I use 2x E500s and an Eva-Dry Peltier EDV-1100 in a Liberty 25 safe. There is a seller on Ebay who sells a package of 2x E500, 2x E333, and one EDV-1100 for $89 shipped and this price really can’t be beat. Silicon Gel needs to be recharged every 1+ months depending on where you live. Boxes and cans are simply very difficult to recharge. Unlike the packages usually say, these need to be poured out and placed in an oven for probably 12 hours or so. The Eva-Dry simply plugs into and outlet, heats up, and dries itself out.

I also have one of Liberty’s golden rods. I think the rod would be great for a garage safe but for a safe inside, where the temperature remains relatively constant, it is pretty useless.

The Numbers:

With 2x E500s the safe humidity decreased to a stead ~42%.

With the 2x E500s and one EDV-1100 it decreased to ~32%.

With the weather proofing strips around the door, 2x E500s, and one EDV-1100 it stayed ~32% or less.

*the changes were measured after 3+ days

My Eva-drys needed to be recharged in 2 months. I shut the peltier off when the humidity goes under 30%.

Humidity Discussion:

From my web research, the goal for humidity is ~35-40%.

Low humidity’s, under 30% can shrink and crack wood and ivory.

Above 50% is probably detrimental.

New Safes are usually extremely wet for months after purchase, due to manufacturing techniques and will dry out over time!

Hopefully this helps some of you web surfers out there beat the Rust Monster! I know the rust monster can be a bitch!

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I have managed safes on the coast (throw a rock) for decades (lots of them). I have managed raw steel, high carbon, blued steel, wood, leather, park, etc., etc. for 40+ years.

If you think waiting for anything, anything, that recharges by plugging it into the wall for 10+ hours is the way to go, I would say nope.

If you think one has to pour out silica gel to get it dry, I have to say, no friggin' way.

If you think capturing water in any kind of cup or container electrically is the way to go, I would say dangerous and impractical.

3 hours at 275 or 2 hours at 325 is the only way to recharge a dryer. You buy large silica sealed units and get on with it. Plugging anything in the wall cannot come close to the heat or the mass of silica getl dehydrants. You need an oven, not an outlet to make this all become easy.

Now it is true that not so long ago, you could by stainless steel 1,500 gram units, or aluminum 1,000 gram units. today we can get to here...

http://www.silica-gel-source.com/750-Gram-Rechargeable-Silica-Gel-P26C24.aspx

Or in paper, yes I use them, but reseal the bags differently, with these.

http://www.silica-gel-source.com/900-Gram-Rechargeable-Silica-Gel-P24C20.aspx

If you are new to this, run two. When the fireproofing is dried out you can run with one.

Goldenrod....throw it out. Do not use them. Do not run electricity into your safe and especially not into any heating units. YEs I once owned them, now? Gone.

Think of it this way, there are two kinds of safes and only two kinds of safes. Closed and open atmospheres.

Closed atmosphere safes are air tight. You put a golden rod into those and if there is moisture it just circulates it around and around and around. A perfect rain forest. You put in your sealed silica gel canisters and your done.

Open atmosphere safes circulate outside air into the safe. They are not air tight. Think about it. Heat the air up and....it goes out the top and sucks cold wet air into the bottom. A perfect cycle of replenishment.

Golden rods are for clothes closets, not gun safes, not for leather, not for wood, not for metal. Get rid of it.

The great news is that you are keeping track of the numbers. That is the game. You are getting results, but the hard way. Two 750s, recharged every, what? 4 months? Done.

Get the best hygro meter you can buy, definitely with High Low Memory.

http://www.amazon.com/Extech-445815-Humi...extech+humidity

Keep leather out.

Nothing goes in wet.

Nothing goes in that is plugged in.

Nothing goes in that generates heat.

Nothing goes in that captures raw water.

Nothing goes in that gasifies.

Use a light quality oil (Tri-Flo, CLP, etc.)

Rust bag those long terms that you can.

Keep ammo powders out.

After 6 months, things will settle down and you will be on your way.

Good luck.

Edited December 18, 2012 by flounder

[SCQTT]

My dad had his in our basement. It is one of the bigger Liberty models. It was just against the wall in the "rec" room.

I moved it using pry bars and about 10 pieces of conduit....."pyramids style" into one of the other rooms.

Edited December 18, 2012 by SCQTT

[swingset]

is there anything you can put inside a safe that will draw out humidity, kinda like the inverse of a cigar humidor?

Yup, powered Goldenrod is a common device.

But, really any dessicant works just fine if the safe seals well (Crystal Kitty Litter in a sock is cheap and very effective). That's what I have in my safe, it's been in a basement, and has kept the higher humidity levels from the outside air at bay. I've had guns stored in that safe for 15 years now, no issues.

I also added some rope lights, which and also illuminate the safe's contents.

[AWW$HEEET]

Yup, powered Goldenrod is a common device.

But, really any dessicant works just fine if the safe seals well (Crystal Kitty Litter in a sock is cheap and very effective). That's what I have in my safe, it's been in a basement, and has kept the higher humidity levels from the outside air at bay. I've had guns stored in that safe for 15 years now, no issues.

I also added some rope lights, which and also illuminate the safe's contents.

sounds fancy